House-wiring apparatus



G. H. INMAN.

HOUSE WIRING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29.19l6.

Patented June 3, 1919.

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G. H. INMAN.

HOUSE WIRING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 1UNE29. 1916.

Patented June 3, 1919.

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iiNiTE erases PATENT carrier.

GILBERT H. INMAN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FIFTH TO ILELAND D. WOOD, OF TAUN'TON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOUSE-WIRING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GILBERT H. INMAN, acitizen of the United States residing at Taunton, in the county ofBristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in House-Wirmg Apparatus; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The present invention relates to house wiring apparatus.

The object of the invention is to produce an apparatus by the use ofwhich the lay ng of telephone, light, and other electric wires infinished buildings may be neatly and expeditiously performed without thenecessity of taking up floorings or otherwlse defacing the rooms of thebuilding. It is desirable that electric wires be laid between the floorsand ceiling and between partition walls so as to avoid the unsightlyappearance of electric wire moldings. When the wires are to be laidlongitudinally of the beams which support the flooring, the problempresented is comparatively simple; but when the wlres must be laidtransversely of the beams, as is often the case, a problem ofconsiderable difliculty is presented. It is readily seen that when abuilding is finished it is practlcally impossible to lay wires in thislatter manner except by taking up a portion of the fiooring and boringthrough each beam separately. To remove the flooring of the finishedbuilding is not only expensive, in that it entails considerable work,but undesirable because the floors can almost never be replaced in thesame condition in which they were originally laid. By means of thewiring apparatus of the present invention electric wires may be laid inany finished building without the necessity of removing the flooring inany of the living rooms or in the rooms where it is undesirable that theflooring should be disturbed. Although applicable for use in wiringbuildings of any description, the apparatus of the present invention isparticularly adapted for the wiring of residences where it is onlypermissible to remove the flooring of closets or other out of the wayplaces. To the accomplishment of the above object, the inventionconsists Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Application filed June 29, 1916. Serial No. 106,711.

in the house wiring apparatus hereinafter described and particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of theinvention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the house wiring apparatusshowing it in position for use; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one oftheswivel blocks and of the indicating de- .vice; Fig. 3 is a section,taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan of the apparatus; Fig.5 is a perspective view, with the middle portion broken away, of one ofthe extension joints; Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the extensionjoint locked to the bit holder, which is shown in section; Figs. 7 and 8are respectively perspective views of the pilot and of the bit holder,Fig. 9 is a perspective view, with the middle portion broken out, ofthe'locking tube; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the key forlocking and unlocking the locking tube.

The house wiring apparatus illustrated in the drawings comprises aboring machine, generally indicated at 10, through which power istransmitted to impel the bit 11 through the beams of the house orbuilding to be wired. The bit may be an ordinary Russell-Jenningsbitwith a machine threaded shank for use in boring holes in wood, or itmay be a Syracuse bit such as is ordinarily used for cutting throughnails. The boring machine 10 is provided with a spindle 12 journaled inthe lowerends of supports 13 depending from a plate or table 14. A web15 serves to hold the supports-13 rigidly connected. Secured to thespindle 12 is a bevel gear 17 which meshes with a bevel p111- ion 18secured to the lower end of a vertically disposed driving shaft 19journaled in the web 15 and in the table 14. A collar 20 secured-to theshaft 19 above the web 15 holds the shaft from end play. Rotarymovements are imparted to the shaft, in order to turn the bit 11, bymeans of a handle 21 loosely received on a stud secured to. the end of acrank web 22 which fits on to the squared upper end of the shaft 19 andis secured thereon by a nut 23. The crank web 22 is provided with twoextra squared holes 24 so that it may be turned in localities too narrowfor the swing'of the handle when in the position shown in the I bebored. The handle 26 loosely embraces the part of the shaft 19 extendingupwardly from. thetable 14 and is secured at its lower end to the table.The table 14 is proyided with two guideways which rest upon two ui bar28:. Th u de ar re of u hiwthngt tob iislge h Spa e epara ingtwoadjacent beams; They are formed i: Squar t b ng n -a leo i" ei insquareholes inswivelblpcks 30 and 31. The 'swivelfbloclgs3 0 and 31 arepivotally PPQH E l platesb ba e 2 and 3.3 respectively,*whiclia1'eprovided with holes r Wo Scre s. 2 by 'w ehct'he ba emay be securedtotwoadjacent beams, 34 and 35.

When the Wires areto be laid atrightangles to'the beams, and the beamsto bebored lie to the rightofthebeams; shown in Figs; @9 5 he' te sse e9! th tor of th beam len im inally there -f Th guidebars 28 areadjustec'l in the swivel block 31 so that their'right ends are aw flushi h the int ide ther f; thereupon "the guide bars are secured in the fi'bl ck .31, y mea O h 's t i ws 6- h 'p et 2 nd. wiv l l ck 3 n li alpnigt e id bar away r m. e swivel block 31 until the'plate is about ve bimdiea inof he eam W e 1991 aeteid b f are ec red. n the Swiv l k 9. yti ten n 90 e humb S rews pla '2 then. dii sted lbn imslin l y th b am.3 til th'e'g de bars are. at right angles to the beams. .The

pl 2. is t enfta' t iel. t th b a lif id. hewii lo k; 92.0. e q ed o h pt y h ening 1. th thumb erew 8.- p te blj cks 41 1- li'e bar a e h se ir gid. n ec ive.

The 'bor ing n iacl in e is next placed I on the Quee -2. w th th bib li eed Ward the beam]? The boring machine is e n; eper'et v pq it a' e te e eb s y m a s, eY'er7 9. hea ed bene th he -9. .4 ndh vQ d' e f A.omm tion spring-4 1 seijured at one end tothe free end of the lever! 39and secured at the. other i i W 4 rti i qt ne ro the le tendslfto swingthe lever 39 inwardly toward h en e f. he ir' 'w in ae away from h uidbar to wh ch t s a acent When the machine. has been placed inoperativepe oei 'a' t uide bars hown n he r gs, the le e ie' W-unsender he d- 1'a e t su deb r y an 1 a. e p c a PiYbtedhe ea h t ta e Q M he 312125? ed. Q J I EP YQ-t p 5 i a h ndl 46. By swinging the handle 46 outwardlyfrom' the center of the table, the cam, piece 44 is moved against thelever 39 and forces it under the adjacent guide bar, thereby prethe cam44 is disengaged from the notch in the lever 39 and the spring 41 actsto draw the lever from under the guide bar so that the machine can belifted from the bars. Then the lever -39 is in' operative positioniunder its 'edja fee ds ba he b r ng a hine m y slid fr el le 6n the iasas- If'circurnstancesrequire the wires be a d b quely ae ss he am r thefilse th apparatus ma b a ju 1 h t' W ll b r h le iq e M e he txe mslepos ion n the peratu b n en 'l l ue eftl e plat 83 s firte iu tedto'tl'ie beam longitudinally"thereof;the guide bars 28 being secured intlie swivel block 31 as' before. The plate 32fa11fd the s wi vel block3Q are then s'li d along on the guide bars until the, adjacent beam 34is regr t- T e i pbn, Plat 2 x owe lon i udinally O he e r ei rectionaccording, to the direction inwhieh the 11 1618 t i'b b r d- T ei entbfthe plate 32 along the beam 34 is continued new P int Oi n edle 48"r'ster$' Wi h the proper graduation on a dial 1 late 49. t is. assume ihat t e 91. to be L d i the hypo ei s'ef f, a gh n e reethe lo'rlger legof which f0 feet transv rely, of ebeame w dth att e f wh h i 5 e n tu io the ane: 'th r et i a j sted tud al y of the; been 3 in ther f r t qnma t e ppinter48- registers with, sayfone of the figures 10 onthe dialplate 45),. The. gradua- Wit fli plate 33- 'F tene on 1e-She l is apinion5'5 which. meshes with a gear 56 securedto the upper. end. of the,pivot pin 54.

The p vot pin e4 is fix ed the, plate 33 and is looselyreceived in theswivel block:

133: meene Qt t o struct-i9 when; he

pee 2' is m ted a e" th beem- 3 t swivel-block is eaused to swingv aboutthe locking driving joints.

pivot pin 54, and at the same time the pinion 55 travels around theperiphery of the gear 56, which causes the pointer 48 to indicate theamount of angular displacement between the block 31 and the plate 33.When the swivel block 31, and consequently the guide bars 28, have beenswungto the proper angular relation with the plate 33, and thereforewith the beam 35, as indicated by the pointer 48, the plate 32 issecured to the beam 34 as before, the pivotal connection between theswivel block 30 and the plate 32 permitting angular movement betweenthem. The swivel block 30 is then secured to the plate 32, as before, bytightening on the thumb screw 38. The thumb screws 37 are also tightenedon the guide bars. The hole is then bored in the same manner as thoughit were a hole at right angles across the beams rather than obliquelyacross them.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the travel ofthe boring machine is limited to the amount of space between twoadjacent beams, so that when the first beam has been bored it is obviousthat the shank of the bit will not be long enough to permit it to beused in boring the next beam, and that, consequently, means must beprovided for extending the bit to the next and to subsequent beams untilthe desired point is reached. For this purpose a series of extensionjoints are provided. Each extension joint consists of three parts, anouter shell or driving'member 58, an intermediary or guide member 59,and an innermost or looking member 60. The guide member 59 is fixed inthe driving member 58, and the locking member 60 is loosely received inthe guide member 59. The exterior surface of the driving member issmooth, and its ends are rabbeted to provide inter- By an inspection ofFig. 5 it will be seen that the left hand end (viewing Fig. 5) or shankend 61 of the guide member 59 projects outwardly beyond the drivingmember 58, and at its other end it terminates at an equal distancewithin the opposite or forward end of the driving member 58. The ends ofthe guide member are also rabbeted, as shown, and the shank end isprovided with an inturned lug 62. The shank 61 of the guide member 59 isslightly smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of the part of thedriving member 58 which projects beyond the forward end of the guidemember 59. When a series of extension joints are joined together andlocked, the shanks of the guide members are inserted intothe forwardends of the driving members. When the guide shank of one extensionjoint'has been thus inserted into the forward end of the driving memberof another extension joint, so that the rabbeted ends of the respectivemembers overlap, the locking member 60 -is rotated by turning anoutturned lug 63 thereof which bears against the adjacent outer end ofthe guide member, until a slot 64 formed in the opposite end of thelocking member engages the lug 62. When the slot 64 has engaged the lug62, the lug 63 is received in a slot 65 formed in'the shank of the guidemember. The two extension pieces are thus securely locked together. Bylocking together a seriesof the extension joints, beams at aconsiderable distance from the boring machine may be reached-and bored.The shanks of the guide members are of such length and their fit in theforward ends of the driving members is such that when the joints arelocked together they are in perfect alinement, thereby forming astraight and smooth extension shank for the bit.

When the apparatus has been placed in position to bore the first beam,the shank 67 of the guide member 68 of the bit holder 69 is insertedinto a collet 70. The collet 70 is secured to the spindle 12, shown inFig. 1. The outside diameter of the collet 70 is the same as the outsidediameter of the driving members of the extension joints, and the insidediameter of the collet is slightly larger than the outside diameter ofthe shanks of the guide members of the extension joints. The outer orforward end of the collet is rabbeted at 71. It is not necessary thatthe shank 67 of the 'bit holder or that the shanks of the extensionjoints be locked in the collet 7 0 because the collet is used only toturn the bit and. feed it through the beams and is not used inwithdrawing the bit or the extension joints from the bored holes. Thebit holder 69 is provided with a threaded hole into which the bit isscrewed. When the first beanq has been bored, the bit isleft in the beamand the boring machine is pulled back therefrom, so that the collet isdisengaged from the shank of the bit holder. One of the extension jointsis then interposed between the bit and the collet. The front end of theextension piece is fitted over the shank of the bit holder so that theforward end of its driving member overlaps the rabbeted part 7 2 of thebit holder. The locking mem ber 60 is then turned until the slot 64therein engages with the lug 7 3 of the shank 67 of the guide member ofthe bit holder. This 7 lug 7 3 corresponds to the lug 62 of theextension joint. The extension joint is thus locked to the bit holder.The shank of the guide member of the extension joint is then inserted inthe collet 70, and the driving portion 74 of the latter is made tooverlap with the driving portion of the extension joint. Thereupon, theboring machine is pushed toward the beam 35 until the bit 11 encountersthe next beam, which is then bored. hen a hole has been bored in thisbeam also,the bit is left therein and the machine is pulled back towardthe beam 34 as 5. An apparatus for use in house Wiring 5 having incombination, a boring machine arranged to be supported between twoadjacent beams, a bit, and a hollow extension Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the joint connecting thebit With the machine having provision whereby succeeding beams may bereached and bored and thereafter serving as a continuous tube throughthe beams so that a Wiring snake may be inserted therethrough.

' GILBERT H. INMAN.

Commissioner of Patent-S,

Washington, D. G.

